Color comparing device



Oct. 17, 1967 J. R. CONLISK COLOR COMPARING DEVICE Original Filed Jan. 14, 1963 INVENTOR. Joh R Conlisk United States Patent Ofiice 3,347,132 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 2 Claims. (CI. 8814) This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 251,114 filed Jan. 14, 1963, and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to devices for comparing colors of fluids with a standard color. It is frequently desirable to make such comparisons in industrial applications. For example, the time for changing lubricating oils is frequently determined by reference to the color of the oil. Similarly, the condition of process water may be judged by its color. In the dry cleaning industry, in which the present invention is particularly useful, it is necessary that the color of dry cleaning solvent be kept low in order to avoid discoloration of articles being cleaned, and it is necessary to watch the color of the solvent in use very closely to determine when decolorizing techniques are necessary and when they are properly functioning.

One common method of comparing the color of a fluid with a standard is to observe a portion of the fluid in a transparent container, such as a bottle or a sightglass, and compare it with a separately held standard color. This procedure, however, presents difiicultics because even a slight separation of the color standard and the fluid being compared makes it difficult to make an accurate comparison.

In accordance with the present invention, a color comparing device is provided which permits ready and accurate determinations of color equivalence. In general, the color comparing device of the present invention provides a transparent window through which a fluid may be observed and a transparent member mounted angularly to the face of the window so that it extends into the space provided for the fluid. The arrangement is such that when the fluid is viewed through the window, the transparent member may also be seen through it. The angularly disposed member may be colored to provide the standard for comparison. Thus, in a device of the present invention, the standard is viewed in direct comparison with the fluid around it.

In its simplest form, the present invention comprises a transparent container having a transparent rod passing through it from one side to the other.

In a presently more preferred form, the present invention includes a sightglass having opposed window members and a transverse rod member extending generally between them.

The invention will be described more specifically in connection with the attached drawing in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a simple form of invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a sightglass window for use in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of a sightglass including the window of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional side elevation of the device of FIGURE 3 taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the device is a bottle, represented generally at 11 having a transparent front side 13, transparent back side 15, a mouth member 17, and a rod member 19 extending between sides 13 and 15. In use, the fluid to be examined as, for example, a dry cleaning solvent is introduced into bottle 11 and then viewed through a side of the bottle so that the eye may at the same time sight through rod member 19. Rod member 19 may be tinted so as to provide the desired color for which the comparison is to be made.

As indicated previously, the invention is particularly applicable to use with a sightglass, and FIGURE 2 shows a sightglass window for use in accordance with the invention. As shown in FIGURE 2, round clear transparent window portion 21 has extending from it tinted transparent rod member 19'. The tinting of rod member 19' is of the color to provide the proper color comparison on looking through the window and through rod 19'. FIG- URES 3 and 4 show a sightglass including the device in FIGURE 2. In these figures, rod 19 extends from window 21 toward a second window 25. Windows 21 and 25 form the sides of a sightglass mounted in pipe member 27. Window 21, protected by gaskets 29 and 31, is drawn up against a threaded and flanged opening in pipe 27 by threaded ring 33. Window 25 which is similar to window 21 except that it is not provided with a rod member is similarly protected by gaskets 35 and 37, and drawn up against an opposite threaded and flanged opening in pipe 27 by ring 39. In use, pipe 27 and 29 is inserted in a flowing stream of fluid, the color of which is to be compared with the standard. The fluid can then be observed through window 21 and directly compared with the color viewed through the length of rod 19.

As indicated, rod 19' is preferably colored to provide a standard of comparison, unless, of course, the standard of comparison desired is colorless in which case rod 19 will not be colored. The color in the rod member may be provided by uniformly coloring the rod or by including colored portions anywhere along its length. For that matter, it is not necessary that the colored portion be provided in the rod itself; it is suflicient if a colored member is provided anywhere in the line of sight through the rod. Thus, the color might be provided, for example, by means of a transparent colored disc in the line of sight through the rod but fastened outside of window 21. One manner which has been successfully employed to provide the desired color in glass rods such as rod 19 is to fire color into the free end 23 of the otherwise clear rod.

It is important that rod 19 be arranged so that the line of sight is through it and it is important that it extend substantially into the fluid to be examined. Preferably it extends entirely through the fluid to be examined as shown in FIGURE 1. To the extent that the rod does not extend all the way through the fluid, an opportunity is given to the fluid to get in the line of sight and add color in addition to the color in the rod. As can be readily seen, this complicates the color comparison. However, useful results are often obtained when the rod extends as little as halfway through the fluid to be examined.

It is apparent that the window and the rod can be made of any suitable material which is not reacted upon by the fluid to be examined, it being important only that they be transparent. It is to be preferred that the window material be colorless although it will be apparent that the device can operate with a colored window.

It will be observed that the window and rod device shown in FIGURE 2 is readily adapted to production as a separate unit for use in sightglasses such as are already available in the trade.

What is claimed is:

1. A color comparing device comprising a fluid chamber for observing liquids, said fluid chamber having separate means for ingress and egress of fluid from said chamber and said chamber having two oppositely arranged transparent-window members closing sight apertures located in the Wall of said chamber through which the liquid can be observed, anda transparent rdd member of smaller cross section than the area of either of said sight apertures, said rod member being at least half as long as the distance between said window members and mounted generally normally to the face of said window members whereby an uninterrupted line of sight from one of said window members to the other passes longitudinally through the rod, said rod member having a tinted portion and said tinted portion being directly in an uninterrupted line of sight longitudinally through said rod member and through said window members.

2. A color comparing device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rod member is entirely within said chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 820,922 5/ 1906 Einsele 88-44 2,943,530 7/1960 Nagel 88-l 2,963,939 12/1960 Garey 88-14 JEWELL H. PEDERSEN, Primary Examiner.

W. L. SIKES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COLOR COMPARING DEVICE COMPRISING A FLUID CHAMBER FOR OBSERVING LIQUIDS, SAID FLUID CHAMBER HAVING SEPARATE MEANS FOR INGRESS AND EGRESS OF FLUID FROM SAID CHAMBER AND SAID CHAMBER HAVING TWO OPPOSITELY ARRANGED TRANSPARENT WINDOW MEMBERS CLOSING SIGHT APERTURES LOCATED IN THE WALL OF SAID CHAMBER THROUGH WHICH THE LIQUID CAN BE OBSERVED, AND A TRANSPARENT ROD MEMBER OF SMALLER CROSS SECTION THAN THE AREA OF EITHER OF SAID SIGHT APERTURES, SAID ROD MEMBER BEING AT LEAST HALF AS LONG AS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID WINDOW MEMBERS AND MOUNTED GENERALLY NORMALLY TO THE FACE OF SAID WINDOW MEMBERS WHEREBY AN UNINTERRUPTED LINE OF SIGHT FROM ONE OF SAID WINDOW MEMBERS TO THE OTHER PASSES LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH THE ROD, SAID ROD MEMBER HAVING A TINTED PORTION AND SAID TINTED PORTION BEING DIRECTLY SAID ROD MEMBER AND THROUGH SAID WINDOW MEMBERS. 